Customs and Excise Director to Be Replaced

Pen Siman, director-general of the department of customs and excise at the Ministry of Finance, will retire this month and be replaced by his deputy, Kun Nhim, according to a Royal Decree dated Monday and signed by King Norodom Sihamoni.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Mr. Siman, a member of the CPP’s central committee and the third-ranking civil servant at the Finance Ministry, was being asked to retire because of his age.

“He made no mistakes in his management but he’s old,” said Mr. Siphan.

“I think this is a replacement of new blood to produce more energy that could bring more new achievements.”

Since a new CPP government was formed in September, the Ministry of Finance has announced efforts to eliminate endemic corruption among customs officials and formalize taxation of goods crossing the border.

Bou Bunara, chief of public relations at the department of customs and excise, said he hoped that Mr. Nhim, who served as Mr. Siman’s deputy for 16 years, would “continue this reform strategy to meet the government’s commitment.”

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